HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was formed in 1996 to protect the health information of patients. This act not only applies to electronic health records but to health information that is spoken or written as well.

As a nation-wide translation agency, we are constantly asked to translate patient health records for evaluation by doctors in the US or for insurance purposes. Our interpreters serve at hospitals interpreting for non-English speaking patients – providing a much needed service that allows them to communicate with their doctors. Our telephone interpretation services provide around the clock service to many of our clients in the healthcare industry.

In this aspect HIPAA rules that protect health information for patients greatly concerns us and the whole translation industry.

In order to comply with HIPAA Privacy regulations, all Link Translations employees are required to take and complete a one hour HIPAA Awareness Training every year. Through this training, they are provided an overview of the HIPAA Privacy regulations as well as information and guidelines on their responsibilities under HIPAA to keep client information private and confidential.

But beyond our in-office employees, we work in making sure that our contract translators and interpreters are also aware of the National Standards of Practice for Interpreters in Health Care. We do this through providing them with the necessary documentation and ensuring that they understand and will comply with the simple rules contained within.

In addition to HIPAA training and testing, both our employees and contractors must sign a Confidentiality Agreement at the time of hire.

More importantly, through constant monitoring and feedback requests Link Translation stays on top of any issues that may arise and pro-actively works in ensuring they can be mitigated.

Detailed information can be found in our article Translations for Life Sciences.

As Link Translations, we also provide certified and notarized translations of foreign language medical diplomas and transcripts for application to the US Medical Association Exam (USMLE). For more details, you can visit our website page USMLE Translation of Foreign Medical Diplomas.

For your translation or interpretation needs in healthcare make sure you to contact us. Get a quote now.